Argo
by Shyaway
Summary: The Black Pearl and her captain at the crucial moment in Dead Man's Chest. Major spoilers.


Thanks to Hereswith for beta reading and the vote of confidence.

Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and its characters are owned by Disney. I use them without permission, but with much love and respect.

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"_Think you that thirteen years with your love is worth an eternity of misery? Very well, 'tis nothing to me. You have your love; I will take your soul. But I tell you now, Jack Sparrow, she will kill you. She will cause you to die, or worse. Worse, aye, that you have promised yourself for, because of her. She will doom you. She has doomed you, because love is death." Jack's skin crawled. _

"Send his beloved Pearl back to the depths!"

The monster of the deep sent to reclaim her thrusts out its blows, cracking, tearing, splintering with a force she's never felt, she's never imagined. She who for so long has presided as the feared queen of these Caribbean waters is being beaten, her hull smashed, her masts shaken, bulkheads and glass shattered. Her cannons fire and her weapons are not enough, and the one commanding her guns is not her consort where is her captain who gave his soul to save her?

_come back to me_

Silence is the answer, silence from beloved loving Captain Jack Sparrow, silence and absence and where is he does he think he can cheat his fate? Fate that is hers and his and there's never been an escape for either of them.

_come back_

It's asking an awful lot, love.

_come back, Jack Sparrow_

The beast strikes at her again, she's mauled and savaged and it won't relent. The ones left aboard left alive cannot save her cannot help themselves. Their fortune is not to go down with her where is the man whose destiny is bound to her who bound his destiny to her?

_whither I go, thou goest_

Then amidst the carnage, the damage wreaked, he's back, she's drawn him back, he's there he's there and she won't let him go again though fearing the end the everlasting he wavers yet.

_stay with me_

His presence is quiet not what he's been before not the laughing bold adventurous pirate of legend of old but still her Captain Jack Sparrow and no hand but his will wield the weapon that could char her scorch her set her sails ablaze. Fire is the poison of the wooden world. Yet her captain's hand is steady and it will be – yes – the Kraken is burned and she suffers naught but singeing.

They've beaten her assailant away for a moment for a time it maims her no more but it will return it will wound her again she will take her deathblow from the leviathan. She will not go alone.

He's sending the others away for though they have been good to her in their several ways they are needed no longer she's feeling his touch as if for the last time the first time the first time in years she wants no other.

_stay_

Yes.

He sends them all away except for the girl that girl who yearns, whose tread shudders the deck with her craving, she is of the same mind and she is needed yet. He has faltered he has stumbled it will not be so again. The girl she gives him her Medea kiss she sets him like Jason on his course the right course and makes him fast where he belongs

_with me_

and is gone with her regrets and her ardour.

He is at peace now devoid of all fear he can choose he can choose her or the sea then the sand the land he can choose now he is not afraid. There is one final thing she can do for the wild bird pulling frantic for freedom at his tethers one last service she can spare him the ignominy of dying in chains. The lantern the light he has not seen she will show it to him. The Kraken approaches she heaves her hulk that was a craft of power and grace she moves and he understands he knows. The libation of oil is poured it's enough he is free.

The beast is upon them and released from her clasp he stays he stays Captain Jack Sparrow will go down with his ship.

Just you and me now, love – my love. Just us.

The maelstrom of his mind is stilled this he knows is the death he was born to die this she knows is why she was raised from the seabed death and life and life in death. The Kraken is come for them it has her she has her captain he is ready the eternal horizon is the lure it ever was ever shall be.


End file.
